Chute-type station for cable-carrier apparatus.



G. A. AMSDEN & C. P. HIDDEN. CHUTE TYPE STATION FOR CABLE CARRIER APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 22, 1914. 1,170,035. Patented Feb. 1, 1916.

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e. A. AMSDEN & c. P. HIDDEN. CHUTE TYPE STATION FOR CABLE CARRIER APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 22, 19M.

Patented Feb. 1, 1916.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE A. AMSDEN, OF LITTLETON, AND CHARLES HIDDEN, OF BROOKLINE, MASSA- CHUSETTS, ASSIGNORS TO THE LAMSON COMPANY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS,

A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

CI-IUTE-TYPE STATION FOR CABLE-CARRIER APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 1, 1916.

Application filed April 22, 1914. Serial No. 833,632.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, GEORGE A. AMSDEN and CHARLES P. HIDDEN, citizens of the United States, respectively residing at Littleton, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, and Brookline, in the county of Norfolk and said State, have invented certain new and. useful Improvements in Chute-Type Stations for Cable- Carrier Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to cable carrier systems in general and more especially to highline apparatus of this description in which there are provided drop-stations at deter- ,mined points along the line from which carriers may be despatched and at which carriers may be selectively received.

One of the objects of our invention is to so construct stations of this type that carriers may be despatched therefrom with great facility and from a point which is very accessible to the hand of the operator.

'Another object is to arrange the despatching parts so as to reduce the motions of the operator, in inserting a carrier, to a minimum; in fact, to preferably but a single movement of the hand.

Still another object is to provide an improved means for preventing collisions between carriers being despatched and carriers already on route along the track to which such despatched carriers are delivered; and this'without requiring further attention on the part of the operator, as for example, to redespatch a carrier which has been automatically stopped to prevent such a collision.

These and other objects of our invention will be hereinafter referred to and the novel elements and. combinations of means whereby said objects may be attained will be more especially pointed out in the claims appended hereto.

In the drawings which form a part hereof and in which like reference characters designate like parts throughout the respective views, we have exemplified a preferred embodiment of our invention; but as weare aware of various changes and modificati ns which may be made herein without departing from the spirit of our invention, we desire to be limited only by the scope of said claims.

Referring to the drawings: Figure 1 is a front elevation, partly broken away, of a cable carrier drop-station constructed and having operative provisions arranged in accordance with the principles of our invention. Fig. 2 is a detail side elevation of the lower parts of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1,- the parts .being Viewed from the line II-II. Fig. 31's a section taken on line IIIIII of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a detail section taken on line IV'of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a section taken on line VV of Fig. 1. Fig. 6

.is an enlarged detail of a portion of the despatching chute section shown in Fig. 3. Fig. 7 is a bottom view of a preferred carrier. Fig. 8 is a plan view of the dropstaticn apparatus and portions of the tracks adjacent thereto. Fig.9 is a plan view ofa straight track section adapted tobe disposed immediately adjacent the drop-station apparatus in lieu of the curved track snown in Fig. 8. Fig. 10 is a front elevation ofthe parts shown in Fig. 9; and Fig. 11 is a detail section taken on line XIXI of Fig. 10. The herein descnbed construction may be regarded as, 1n certain ways, an improve- .ment upon the apparatus disclosed in the application for patent of George A. Amsden -(one of the present applicants), filed December 26, 1913, Serial No. 808,713 and entitled Cable carrier apparatus.

Referring first to Fig. 1, the main tracks are preferably botl. so disposed as to convey carriers with their grips pointing down. and the outgoing track from the. cashiers station, not shown, has been designated 1, and of course constitutes the delivery track to the way stations of which but one has been shown; while the incoming track 2 to said cashiers station constitutes the receiving track for said way stations. Preferably a single endless cable 3 is provided, which in the exemplified construction constitutes the means for elevating carriers from the way stations as well as for propelling them along both of the main tracks. Obviously, however, various means for elevating or otherwise moving the carrier from the way or clerks station to the main track, may be employed in lieu of the simple loop herein shown in the main track cable. The carriers are propelled by the cable in the direction of the arrows indicated adjacent thereto and the cable passes downwardly at each way station around a pulley or idler 1 to the pulley 5, at the station proper, and thence up around a pulley 6, preferably axially alined with pulley. a, and on to the next way station or to the cashiers desk, as the case may be. The shaft 7 of pulleys tand 6 is carried by a bracket 8 while the pulley 5 may be mounted in a casing 9 carried upon an upright 10 and having suitable cable 'OPBIllIlgS.

Brackets 11 connected to casing 9 support the looped portion 12 of an independent drop track 18 which delivers carriers to the station from a switch 1 1; the

latter being adapted to selectively remove carriers from the track 1 which are destined for a given or predetermined way station by engaging side lugs 14! upon the carrier, in a known manner.

The construction of the switch is wel known in the art and hence need not be further described herein.

Carriers descending track 13 may be removed from between the flared extremities 15, or they may be drawn back and removed through the aperture 15.

We particularly desire to direct attention to the disposition of the loop 12 substantially at right agles to the pulley 5, rather than parallel thereto as in previous constructions; this arrangement permitting the greatest freedom of access to carriers in said loop with "no adjacent tracks or running cable to be avoided bythe hand of the operator when withdrawing a carrier from said loop. We may here state, however, that said loop may obviously be disposed other than as shown, in order to meet particular service. conditions encountered at the station, but we prefer to maintain the plane of the loop at right angles to the pulley 5 for the reasons above in dicated.

The delivery track or guide 16 extends up from the right hand side of casing 9, as viewed in Fig. 1, substantially to the receiving track 2; a gap in the latter, normally closed by a spring pressed bridge or bridge elements 17, or some equivalent thereof, serving to permit of the passage of a carrier from the delivery track to said receiving track.

Fig. 4: best shows the construction of the bridge which is not specifically claimed herein, forming as it does a part of the said disclosure of George A. Amsden, suffice it to say that the curled edges 17 are normally alined with the rails of track 2, but may be moved. up by the pressure of anascending mentioned tracks.

carrier into their dotted line positions and against stops, as shown in Fig. at, to permit of the passage of said carrier.

The carriers are preferably substantially like those described in the patent to said Amsden, Patent Number 960,617 but for convenience of description, bottom and end views thereof areshown in Figs. 6 and 7. Herein the carrier 18'has the usual receptacle 18 having a. cover ,the handle 18 of which is shown in Fig. 6. The carrier is flanged to travel on the tracks and is provided with a relatively fixed grip-jaw 19, having in the present instance a slight movement on its pivotal axis 19; a spring 20 normally holding this jaw in its innermost position. The pivoted jaw 21 swings through an arcuate slot in the carrier bottom, being held in its cable gripping or in its open position as-the case may be by a spring 22 and a detent or tooth 22 on its shank, in a known manner. Jaw 19 is ribbed on one side, the'rib being recessedto better grip the cable, and the end of the carrier, marked A, travels foremost when the carrier is traversing any of the above This description of the carrier is necessary in order to better present the mode of operation of the chute mechanism now to be described.

A despatching chute broadly designated 23 is shown to the right of track 16 in Fig. 1 and in section in Figs. 3 and 6, and preferably comprises a slide wayor guide rail 2 1 with side rails or flanges 2-1" to limit any possible sidewise movement of the carrier when descending the chute bottom upward. The chute is supported by brackets 25, 26 and 27 and, to steady the descent of the carrier, brackets and 26 may have short rail sections 28 connected thereto which enter the spaces between the flanges at the bottom of the carrier just as do the rails 16, 1, 2, etc. Normally when the carrier is thrust into the chute it falls by gravity until its bottom, or, at such time, innermost rail flanges 29 pass through the diagonal slots 30 (see Figs. 1 and 5) in the rails of track 16; said rails being cut through at this point and the ends thereof being united by a yoke shaped bracket 31. A lug 32 on bracket 25 engages the ribbed side of the relatively fixed jaw 19 if the carrier be incorrectly inserted in the chute, since by reason of the construction shown, the end A of the carrier must be uppermost when the carrier is entered upon rails 28 in order that said end may travel forwardly up track 16 when the carrier is engaged with the cable in the manner now to be described. After the lugs or fianges128have passed through slots 30, the carrier is in engagement with track 16 and descends by gravity therealong until its pivoted jaw encounters the grip locking cam 33-, whereupon said jaw is swung into engagement with the upwardly moving cable and the latter aided by spring 22 in the carrier body closes the grip firmly upon said cable; the carrier thereafter being pulled up along track 16, until it raises bridge elements 17 and jumping the small gap 34 (Fig. 4) between track 16 and the receiving track 2, thereafter travels along the latter toward the next station.

Any through carrier passing a way station, such as that shown, encounters a grip tripping cam 35 which frees said carrier from the cable just before the carrier crosses over the bridge, which it does by momentum; but as soon as said bridge is passed a cam 36 re-closes the grip on the cable and the carrier is then propelled on toward the next station as before. Every through carrier as it approaches av way station also encounters a rod 37 pivoted upon arms 3839 and this rod 37 may be along the line of a straight track, as shown in Figs. 9 and 10, or it may be around a bend or curve in said track, as shown in Fig. 8, depending upon whether any curve in the main receiving" track to the rear of a station is within a determined distance of said station corresponding to the distance which cam 33 may be below said receiving track.

The arm 39 is in any case preferably connected by an operating lever to a Wire or link 40 and, if the track be curved as in Fig. 8 link 40 may connect with a bell crank 41 which in turn actuates a wire or link 42. This latter operates a crank 43 and a wire 44 may, if desired, extend down directly from this latter to the operating arm 45 of a latch 46. This latch when disposed in its dotted line position (Fig. 1) is adapted to engage the lower side of the-fixed jaw 19 of any carrier being inserted into the chute at such time; but a spring 47 normally holds this latch or carrier holding means in its inoperative position and obviously also holds bar 37 out in the path of the through carriers at the same time, through the intermediacy of the wires and cranks above referred to. WVhenever, therefore, the rod 37 is laterally displaced by a passing carrier, latch 46 is swung temporarily into its operative position and will hold a carrier being despatched, stationarily against clownward movement through the chute until said passing or through carrier has cleared bar 37.

\Vhen a carrier is despatched it requires a given time to fall through the chute and to be connected to the cable, and an additional tion proper and said bridge. The distance back from the bridge which rod 37 is set in order to prevent a collision between a through carrier and a carrier being despatched will therefore also vary in accordance with the drop of the station, but will be a determined amount for any determined or given drop. Brackets 484S which carry arms 39-39 are accordingly adjusted along the track 2 to time the release of the'carrier being despatched so that by no possibility can it collide with a through carrier; wires 42 or 40 being correspondingly extended or shortened.

WVhen the track is straight, just before coming to a station, as it normally is, the bell-crank 41 is omitted and wire 40' is extended directly to crank 43.

The arms 38 and 39 are normally limited in their clockwise movement, as viewed in Fig. 9, for example, by a suitable stop 49, shown in Figs. 9, 10 and 11 and this stop also serves to limit the upward movement of latch 46.

In brief, the general operation of our system is as follows: Carriers are inserted into the mouth of chute 23 for despatch, in

engagement with rails 28. If a carrier en.

route along track 2 would collide with the despatched carrier, it simply is not despatched for a short time but remains upon rails 28, held thereon by the latch 46 which has been moved into its carrier engaging position by the passage of the through carrier into engagement with rod 37. When the through carrier clears rod 37, latch 46 is withdrawn by its spring 47 and under such conditions by the time that the released carrier drops down into engagement with track 16 and is hoisted by cable 3 through bridge 17, the through carrier which had caused the latching of the despatched carrier, will have passed over said bridge before the ascending carrier passes therethrough.

One of the great advantages of the present system is that the operator, having once inserted a carrier in the mouth of the chute,

may leave it without further attention since but avoids undue noises and wear and tear upon the apparatus since a carrier being despatched simply cannot be started until the way is clear and then it automatically starts itself.

Having thus described our invention. what we claim is 1.. In drop-station apparatus for cable carrier systems. the combination of a main receiving track having a station therealong, an auxiliary track leading up from said station to said track, a chute, leading down toward. said auxiliary track.v down which a carrier may descend by gravity, said auxiliary track having provisions to admit said carrier into operative engagement therewith, a cable to propel carriers up said auxiliary track to said main track and means to automatically engage a carrier which has descended said chute, with said cable.

2. Cable carrier apparatus comprising a track, a cable, a carrier having means to engage said cable and adapted to be propelled thereby along said track with one particular end of said carrier foremost, a chute leading toward said track down which said carrier may drop by gravity, said chute having provisions to prevent the insertion of said carrier thereinto wrong end to, and means to automatically engage said carrier with said cable after the carrier has moved down said chute substantially into engagement with said track.

3. Cable carrier apparatus comprising a track, a cable, a carrier having means to engage said cable and adapted to be propelled thereby along said track, a chute leading toward said track down which said carrier may drop by gravity in an inverted position for a part at least of the length of said chute, and means to automatically engage said carrier with said cable after the carrier has moved down said chute substantially into engagement with said track.

4. Cable carrier apparatus comprising a track, a cable, a carrier having means to engage sald cable and adapted to be propelled 'thereby along said track with determined said carrier with said cable after the carrier has moved down said guiding means substantially into engagement with said track.

5. Cable carrier apparatus compirsing a substantially vertical track, a cable, a station relatively adjacent to said track having means to automatically emplace a carrier upon said track, said means including substantially fixed guides down which said carrier may drop by gravity into engagement with said track, means to engage said carrier with said cable, and means to automatically deliver carriers to said station.-

auxiliary track up to said main track, means to engage a carrier to be despatched along said auxiliary track, with said cable, and means, controlled by the passage of a through carrier, en route along said main track past a determined point in said main track, for preventing said carrier being despatched from being operatively engaged by said first mentioned means until after said through carrier has passed a second determined point in said main track.

8. Cable carrier apparatus comprising a main track, an auxiliary track leading from a station to said main track, a cable to propel a carrier along said auxiliary track to said main track, means to engage a carrier to be despatched along said auxiliary track, with said cable, and means, controlled by the passage of a through carrier, en route along said main track past a determined point in said main track, for preventing said carrier being despatched from being opei'atively engaged by said first mentioned means until after said through carrier has passed a second determined point in said main track.

Cable carrier apparatus comprising a high-line track, a drop-station along said track, a continuously driven cable running through said drop-station, said station having a substantially vertical despatching track section leading up to said high-line track and provided with means to permit of the emplacement of a carrier upon said section, means to guidedly move the carrier 1 laterally with respect to said despatching section and into engagement therewith, and means to automatically engage said carrier with said cable.

10. Cable carrier apparatus comprising a high-line track, a drop-station along said track, a continuously driven cable running through said drop-station, said station hav ing a substantially vertical despatching track section leading up to said high-line track and provided with means to permit of the emplacement of a carrier upon said section, means to cause a carrier being despatched from said station to move in a determined path from a point to one side of said vertical. section laterally toward and through said admitting means, and means to engage said carrier with said cable.

11. Cable carrier apparatus comprising a high-line track, a drop-station along said track, a continuously driven cable running through said drop-station, said station having a. substantially vertical despatching track section leading up to said high-line track and provided with means to permit of the emplacement of a carrier upon said sectin-n, means to cause a carrier being despatched from said station to move in a determined path from a point to one side of said vertical section laterally through said admitting means, means to engage said carrier with said cable, and means to prevent said lateral movement of said carrier when a through carrier, en route along said highline track past said station, would interfere with said carrier being despatched.

12. Cable carrier apparatuscomprising a high-line track, a drop-station along said track, a continuously driven cable running through said drop-station, said station having a substantially vertical despatching,

track section leading up to said high-line track and provided with means to permit of the emplacement of a carrier upon said section, means to cause a carrier being despatched from said station to move in a determined path from a point to one side of said vertical section laterally through said admitting means, means to engage said carrier with said cable, and means to prevent the engagement of said carrier with said cable when a through carrier. en route along said high-line track past said station, would interfere with said carrier being despatched.

13. Cable carrier apparatus including-asubstantially vertical despatching track having means to permit of the emplacement of a carrier thereon, a cable to propel said carrier along said track, and carrier despatch ing means comprising devices to cause a carrier being despatched to move in a determined path from a point to one side of said vertical track laterally toward and with portions thereof through said first mentioned means and into engagement with said cable.

14. Cable carrier apparatus including a substantially vertical despatching track having means to permit of the emplacement of a carrier thereon, means to propel said carrier along said track, and carrier despatching means comprising devices to cause a carrier being despatched to move in a deter mined path from a point to one side of said vertical track laterally toward and with portions thereof through said first mentioned means and into engagement with said propelling means, said last mentioned means having provisions for preventing the introductionof a carrier through said first mentioned means wrong end foremost.

15. Cable carrier apparatus including a track having means to permit of the emplacement of a carrier thereon at a determined point therein, means to propel said carrier along said track in one direction with a determined end of said carrier foremost, carrier despatching means to deliver said carrier to said track with said determined end rearwardly directed With respect to the direction of travel of said carrier during such delivery, and means to engage said carrier with said propelling means.

16. Cable carrier apparatus comprising means to direct a moving carrier with one end thereof foremost along a determined path, a cable, and automatic means to stop said carrier and thereafter move it with its other end foremost along another path diverging from the path first mentioned and in engagement with said cable.

17. Cable carrier apparatus comprising a vertical track, means to propel carriers along said track, a station proper from which carriers may be despatched along said track, means for despatching carriers from said staticn, collision preventing means, controlled by a through carrier en route along said track past said station for stopping substantially any movement of the carrier being despatched from said station for a time sutlioient to insure against collision and for immediately thereafter automatically despatching said carrier, and means independent of said despatching means for delivering carriers to said station regardless of whether a carrier is being despatched therefrom or not.

18. Cable carrier apparatus comprising a main track having a curve therein, a dropstation along said track adjacent said curve, means at said drop-station for despatching a carrier to be delivered to said main track, means to propel said carrier along said main track at least, and collision preventing means an operative part of which extends around a portion at least of said curve, said part being operable by a through carrieren route along said main track around said curve and past said station, and said collision preventing means having mechanism controlled by said part for preventing the despatch of a carrier to said main track so long as said part is subject to the action of said through carrier.

19. Cable carrier apparatus comprising a main track having a curve therein, a station along saidtrack adjacent said curve, means at said station for despatching acarrier to be delivered to said main track, means to propel said carrier along said main track at least, and collision preventing means an operative part of which extends around a portion at least of said curve, said part being operable by a through carrier en route along said main track around said curve and past said station, and said collision preventing means having mechanism controlled by said part for preventing the despatch of a carrier to said main track so long as said port is subject to the action of said through carrier.

20. Cable carrier apparatus comprising main tracks, a station along said tracks, means at said station for despatching and receiving carriers to and from said main tracks, said means including an auxiliary despatching track leading up from said station to one of said main tracks, a despatching chute leading down to said auxiliary track, and a second auxiliary track leading down from the other of said main tracks.

21. Cable carrier apparatus comprising main tracks, a station along said tracks, means at said station for despatching and receiving carriers to and from said main tracks, said means including an auxiliary despatching track leading up from said station to one of said main tracks, a despatching chute leading down to said auxiliary track, and a second auxiliary track leading down from the other of said main tracks, said despatching means including a cable running through said station and a pulley around which said cable travels at said station, and said second auxiliary track 'having at its lower end a loop to receive carriers, said loop being disposed in a plane substantially at right angles to the plane of said pulley.

22. Cable carrier apparatus comprising main tracks, a station along said tracks, means at said station for despatching and receiving carriers to and from said main tracks, said means including an auxiliary despatching track leading up from said station to one of said main tracks, and a second auxiliary track leading down from the other of said main tracks, said despatching means including a cable running through Copies 01 this patent may be obtained for said station and a pulley around which said cable travels at said station, and said second auxiliary track having at its lower end a loop to receive carriers, said loop being disposed in a plane substantially at right angles to the plane of said pulley.

23. Oable'carrier apparatus comprising a main track having a curve therein, a station along said track adjacent said curve, means at said station for despatching a carrier to be delivered to said main track, means to propel said carrier along said main track at least, and collision preventing means an operative part of which is disposed along the line of said main track beyond said curve, said part being operable by a through carrier en route along said main track toward said curve and station, and said collision preventing means having mechanism controlled by said part for preventing the despatch of a carrier to said main track so long as said part is subject to the action of said through carrier.

In testimony whereof we have aflixed our signatures, in the presence of two witnesses. GEORGE A. AMSDEN.

CHARLES P. HIDDEN. Witnesses E. M. JORDAN, M. K. PORTER.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. G. 

